Tyler's Torchwood
by RB Cherub
Summary: Ianto Jones leads an investigation into seventeen simultaneous acts of random mass-violence across Cardiff. As he and Mike Walker investigate, the Hub's new commander, Rose Tyler and her team uncover a sinister alien mastermind.


Part One

Ianto Jones threw himself against the wall, his Enfield semiautomatic pressed tightly to his shoulder. The door was open. Some_thing _was inside. Exactly what, they didn't know. But it was alien, and it wasn't there by any official invitation. Listening for any sound, any movement, he looked back the way he came and nodded.

John Smith appeared at a run, silently taking position on the other side of the door. He was unarmed, save for the object he now took from inside his tight blue pinstripe suit. It resembled a torch, thick and cylindrical, with a large collection of blue LEDs at one end. Without warning, he dove into the shadows, into the warehouse.

Ianto cursed, and cautiously followed.

How was he meant to lead the unit if this new "Scientific Advisor" kept disobeying him, leaping headfirst into God-knows-what? Keeping quiet, Ianto stayed low in the shadows. He would have to get in contact with the new Head of Torchwood.

Back at Torchwood Three, "the Hub", Lisa Hallet worked her computer console, staring at the screen while she typed. Behind her, Suzie Costello made the final recalibrations on her new "Weevil-Basher".

'That should do it.' She said proudly, sliding back the forehandle and loading the shell. 'If this baby doesn't take them down, I don't know what will.'

'I thought we were capturing Weevils, not obliterating them.' Lisa didn't miss a beat as she typed, looking up at Suzie in the curved shop-mirror she had installed above her desk, after one too many practical jokes.

The distorted reflection of Suzie shrugged. 'Just in case the mace doesn't work. Or would you rather be mauled to death in the field.'

'Now, now, you two.'

They both looked toward the office, and the young woman stepping out of it. The new head of Torchwood Three, and their new boss.

Rose Tyler brushed back her hair and pinned on the earpod. 'Mister Jones, situation report.'

Ianto's voice was hushed and calm. '_We've reached the warehouse, but I've lost Smith._'

'_Lost?_' Rose was suddenly overcome with worry.

'_Yeah. He just dove in ahead of me, I haven't seen or heard him since, and he won't answer me._'

'Hold position. Stand by.' Rose was annoyed. She had learnt to hide it, but she was most annoyed. 'Mister Smith, come in. John. Answer me, dammit. _Doctor_!' tapping a key on Lisa's keyboard, everyone flinched when the piercing note screamed through every earpod in the network.

'_I'm here, I'm here. Oww._' John hissed.

'Next time, answer me. Where are you?'

'I'm up in the rafters. They've got some kind of power converter down there, but the screwdriver's having trouble identifying it.' John shook his new, homemade Sonic Screwdriver (Torch would be a more accurate description) and it rattled cheaply. He then slapped it endways against his palm, and the noise it made changed pitch.

'_Never mind that, regroup with Ianto. Don't argue with me, just do it!_'

'_Yes, sir._' He said, sounding insulted.

'One of these days… Mister Walker, how we doin'?' she held her hand to her earpod.

Mike Walker tapped his own earpod; 'I'm in position in the warehouse opposite. From here I've got a clear view of both exits.'

'_Good. When Skinny-Boy gets back with the plan, we'll make our move._'

'Roger that.' Mike settled himself again, his eye lightly pressed to the scope. Whoever they were, they had taken over the end warehouse of an estate. The one next to it had been fitted out by his own good self with homemade mantraps, just in case they tried escaping that way. Laying on the rooftop beneath a homemade duck blind, Mike wondered what his brother Raph would say if he could see him now.

He missed his brothers. Their parents never really recovered from the news. At least they died with honour.

Ianto and John finally regrouped. Rose was still rather annoyed.

'_Finally. Mister Jones, you have my permission to taze him if he runs off again._'

'Understood, Miss Tyler.' Ianto looked threateningly at Smith, opening his beaten leather jacket and showing the large stun-gun strapped to his side. 'Take position. Arm yourself.'

On Ianto's signal, the pair of them leapt from their respective hiding places, weapons primed.

'TORCHWOOD!' Ianto barked, his gun aimed right at one of them. There were four of them: they were human, all wearing lab coats and facemasks. 'Step away from that console and put your hands up! NOW!'

The four suspects scattered, but Ianto was swift to respond. Within moments he had taken down one of them with a shot to the shin, which disintegratied in a bloody mess. Some distance away, Smith had taken another one down with his Sonic Whoosit; aiming it at a bank of machinery, it exploded, right in the face of a second suspect, knocking him clean out.

Neither could mark the others, both headed for the main door. Ianto tapped his earpod 'Mike, they're headed your way.'

'Got 'em.' Mike took a deep breath, steadied himself like his brother had taught him. As soon as the door flew open, Mike fired. The rubber riot-round smashed into the chest of the first, throwing him backwards into the second and knocking them both out.

'Two suspects down at main entrance.'

'_We've got two more. Making a sweep for any others._'

'_Four suspects detained. No fatalities. Area secure._'

Rose nodded approvingly. 'Thank you Mister Jones. Miss Hallett, call in the Big Boys.'

Lisa tapped a few keys on her keyboard, then her own earpod. 'Zeppelins One thru Three, take up position. Full investigation/ containment protocol.'

'_Roger, Torchwood Three._'

Pete Tyler fell into his seat, exhausted. As he massaged the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes, the buzzer sounded, and he patted the table until he found the button to let Adeola in. She walked in with a smile and a tray laden with a late lunch.

'Oh, you star.' Pete sat up and picked up his tea as soon as the tray touched the desk. 'What would I do without you?'

'Suffer terribly, I imagine.' She smiled, 'Is there anything else I can do?'

'No, thank you. The wife's suspicious enough as it is.' He winked, dismissing her with a polite nod. She started for the door, then turned back.

'Oh, Torchwood Three's called in.'

'Thanks.'

Pete Tyler had been in provisional command of Torchwood for almost a year; it had been unofficial for a time, but then the President, Harriet Jones, had asked him to officially take over the institute. With the President's blessing came the power to bring in massive, sweeping reforms across the entire operation; many of the splinter cells were shut down, their staff reassigned, imprisoned or retconned. And when matter of Torchwood Cardiff came up, there was only one person he could trust to take over the facility, the Hub.

Jackie had been against the idea. She didn't want to break up the family, now that Rose was happy, with John.

Pete had been surprised when John Smith, "The Doctor", had appeared at his door with Rose. It had taken him a while to explain to Pete that he wasn't actually the Doctor he had met years before, but a kind of clone.

Rose and John had finally won the argument, and moved out of the mansion, into a large, comfortable house in Cardiff, close to the Hub, and to the Hyper-Metro bypass linking Cardiff to London. It had been a tearful goodbye for Jackie and Tony, and Jackie had promised to visit them as soon as she could get away from her own "business meetings".

Waking his computer from its slumber, Pete accessed the direct communication link to the Hub, to Rose's office.

'No, no trouble, almost textbook. We'll be sending you all the intel once we have it… yeah. Will do. See ya then. Bye.' Rose set the phone down, then tapped the bell next to it. John, who had been standing outside for the last five minutes, came in and stood opposite the desk.

'Do I really need to say it again?' she asked him, and he shrugged. 'Just to recap, you're not a Time Lord anymore.' 'No, but I deserve to be treated better than just another flunkie.' John snapped back.

Rose stood up. She was shorter than him, but had enough power and presence to make him shut up and listen. In the few years they'd been apart, she'd become more than a match for him. 'Until you can work as a member of the team, there's no reason I should treat you like one. There's the door.' Rose sat down and reactivated her computer. She looked up at him. 'Go through it.'

Stifling whatever remark he was about to make, he turned and left.

A little later, Ianto knocked on the doorframe, holding a steaming cup of industrial strength coffee.

'You looked like you needed it.'

Rose smiled, and asked him to take a seat. He did so, a little awkwardly. She asked him what was on his mind.

'Can I be blunt?'

Rose nodded. Ianto spent a moment to make sure he knew what he wanted to say: 'After we found out what Yvonne was doing and put a stop to it, I… I was kind of hoping to be on the _other_ side of this desk.'

Rose nodded, understanding. He went on;

'I can't fault what you've done since taking over the Hub, and I'm grateful for the promotion, and the pay rise, but…' he looked over his shoulder, where the others were still working. 'We know almost nothing about you. Neither of you are on any record or database, and after Yvonne….we're all a little wary.'

Rose set her coffee down, thought about what had just been said. 'Okay. Well, I wish I could help you out there, but I didn't ask for this, I got given it by my… by Pete Tyler.'

'And he's doing a great job running the Institute.' Ianto said sincerely.

Rose agreed with a nod. 'But you're just gonna have to trust me.'

Ianto stood, and started out of the office. He turned back. 'What about John?'

Rose conceded. 'He's still a bit of a random element. We'll all have to keep an eye on him.'

Ianto nodded again, and left. Rose's gaze lingered on the photos she had on her desk: one of Mickey, who had finally given her up and gone home. She'd finally gotten the man of her dreams in John, but she still longed for him sometimes. Beside him, a photo of her own family; her mum and Pete, her sort-of stepfather, and Tony, her sort-of brother. Maybe half-brother was more accurate. It still gave her headaches to think of it. The third photograph was one of the Doctor, in the incarnation she had first known, and come to love, before everything got complicated. She had seen John looking down at him, sometimes with reverence, other times with contempt. She sometimes cried when she remembered that jug-eared Northerner.

_Lots of planets have a North!_

The rest of the day passed without incident, and soon they were all heading home. All but Mike, who preferred to sleep at the Hub. He had "lost" the flat he was renting a few weeks before, and gotten comfortable with sleeping at the Hub.

'Are you sure you don't want our spare room?' Rose asked, as she and John were heading out. 'It's no trouble, really.'

'No. Thanks, I appreciate it, but I'd rather stay here. Besides, someone has to hold the fort.'

'Okay then. Have a good night.'

'Same to you, ma'am.' Mike nodded, as Rose met with John and started out of the Hub.

Mike waited for them to go, then did his usual rounds; checking every system and closing them down to inert status, then making sure the Hub's resident Stegosaurus had been fed. Fixing a snack for himself, Mike walked down to the vaults and made himself comfortable in the cell he had picked.

Next morning, Mike was woken by the sound of that cell's door being opened, and he was instantly wide awake, ready to defend himself if needed.

'You sleep in the cells?' Ianto asked, frowning.

Mike sat up, stretching. Rolling off the shelf, Ianto stepped back, as Mike started on his usual workout routine.

'I feel more relaxed down here.' Mike said, between press-ups. 'I get pissed off with humanity and its politics. Down here, there is no politics. Just people trying to survive on whatever they have.' Rolling over again, he started on crunches, his breathing steady, while Ianto watched. 'You want something?'

'Ro… Ms Tyler wanted to know if you were okay. We were expecting you to be in that little bunkroom beneath the office.'

'Tried that. Couldn't sleep.' Flipping onto his feet, Mike picked up his jacket. 'Well, unless it's vital, tell her I'm fine, and I'll see her after I've had a shower.'

'Alright then. Hold on, what shower?'

'I built one.' Mike called from down the hall.

Ten minutes later, Mike had met with the rest of the team in the new conference room, his hair unstyled and still wet.

'Sorry if I kept you all.'

'Not at all.' Rose waited for him to sit before tapping a key on the desktop keyboard. 'Okay. Over the past two nights, seventeen acts of random violence have broken out across the city.'

'That doesn't sound unusual, city like this.' Suzie said, her mind obviously elsewhere.

'That's what the police thought at first.' Rose said, tapping the key again. A map of the city appeared onscreen, with each incident, and one by one, a numbered marker appeared atop the map. 'But after Lisa backtracked through the rift logs…' the image changed slightly, and they all sat up and looked closer. John reached into a pocket of his suit and took out a pair of glasses, slipping them over his eyes. 'That's _more_ unusual.'

The seventeen markers had each been joined by another, in the exact same place and time. Rose explained:

'At the exact time and location of each incident, we picked up a spike in the low-level ambient psychic energy.'

'Meaning?' Ianto asked.

'Meaning…' John stood, taking an even closer look at the screen and its contents. 'Someone's using the rift to affect the human brain. Lowering tolerance levels, upping aggression.'

'You can't know that for sure.' Suzie frowned. John looked back at her.

'Yes I can. I've seen it before, or something like it. Remember the Sycorax?' he said to Rose.

Rose did indeed remember the Sycorax. 'What, you mean it's blood control again?'

'Could be. I'd need to see medical reports on anyone involved, check the blood types.'

'Right. We'll handle that.' Rose looked back at her team, who were all watching them with a slight worry.

'Ianto, Mike, check out some of these sites, see if you can find anything interesting. Suzie, you and Lisa check with the other Torchwood branches, see if this is happening anywhere else. Get going. Good luck, and take care.'

'Thank you, ma'am.' Mike said with a nod, as he and the others stood to leave.

'Come on, John.' Rose shut down the desktop computer and started out.

'Rose.'

She looked back. John looked at her, in a way Rose had never seen. 'Look. I'm sorry if I've been a pain. This… it's a lot to get used to.'

'I know. And we'll get through it, together. But until we do, just remember who's in charge.'

John smiled, and saluted, 'Yessah.', and they walked out together.

Ianto grabbed hold of the handrail, and anything else he could, as Mike hauled the wheel round, throwing his 2006 Triumph Stag round the corner at twice the speed limit.

'Fuck's sake, man!' he yelled, as the car barely slipped between a bus and a large, fully laden truck.

'Oh, stop your whining.' Mike changed gear, his foot buried in the floor of the car.

'Look, I want to get this done as quickly as you do, but this _is _a residential area, and it's half term week.'

'City like this one, my driving's the least of their worries.'

Ianto was quite pale when the car finally slowed, parking up in an average looking Cardiff street. Half of it had been blocked off, and a large congregation of police vehicles was parked in front of one particular house, identical to the twenty or thirty others. Getting out, Mike and Ianto walked to the boot; Mike's car was kitted out with equipment for almost any scenario, a scaled-down version of the old Torchwood SUVs. As he unstrapped and checked his field kit, Mike regarded the engagement ring as it appeared in Ianto's hand.

'I'm flattered, but I don't think I'm your type.' Mike looked to Ianto, whose eyes narrowed.

'Do you think Lisa will like it?'

Mike snorted. 'Ianto, I'm sure she will. She'll just be wondering what too you so long, same as everyone else. Come on. Time to piss off the local constabulary.'

As they walked toward the police tape- the flimsy yellow barrier intended to keep all and sundry at bay- Mike smiled as he recognised the constable standing just inside it.

'It's been too long.' He said.

PC Andy Davidson scowled at them, even as he lifted the tape for them. 'This one of your "spooky dos" is it? Bloody Torchwood, sticking your nose in everywhere. Where were you when Gwen Cooper disappeared, eh? Her boyfriend's in hospital now, tried to slice his wrists open.'

'Look, mate.' Mike said, flatly, but his eyes flickered with another feeling entirely; 'I'd be happy to go a few rounds with you if you want someone to hit. But let's wait til we're finished here, eh?'

'I'm gonna hold you to that.' PC Andy said as they walked on. Once they were out of earshot, Mike sighed, as he remembered the fear in her big brown eyes.

'It wasn't your fault. You didn't kill her.' Ianto said, hand on his shoulder.

'I know, but that doesn't make it right.' Mike sniffed the air, caught the scent of blood. He buried the memory, forcing it far, far away. He had work to do.

'Torchwood.' Ianto said to another constable, standing at the front door. 'Who's in charge?'

'That would be me.' A middle-aged man stepped out from the side gate, taking off his hat and mopping his brow. 'Sergeant Sneed.'

'Ianto Jones, Mike Walker. Torchwood.'

'I never would have guessed. Through here.'

Walking them down the alleyway, Sneed led them out into a large back garden. Ianto tried to swallow back the bile, bringing a hand to his mouth. From the stench of it, a few of them had lost that battle already.

Blood spattered the grass and the stone patio, the wooden fence and the low brick wall. Several corpses still lay, covered by black plastic sheets. Between them lay large chunks of bone and flesh, along with blood-soaked garden and kitchen tools and uprooted fence posts, spur of the moment weapons used to deadly effect.

Amid the smell of blood and vomit, he could smell burning; the barbecue had been left unattended, and set fire to the fence. The fire had been doused, but the smell remained. Mike seemed not to notice anything, as he walked to the middle of the carnage and began working, setting his case down on a clean patch of grass.

'What happened?' Ianto asked. 'Were there any witnesses?'

'Just neighbours, and most of them only saw the trail end of it. But one woman, Mrs. Davies next door, says that three of them just started butchering the others. There were about a dozen, we're assuming a family get-together.'

'Any survivors?' Ianto was sickened and terrified by the thought, but was able to keep the feelings suppressed.

'One, but he's in a bad way. Not expected to recover. Uh, I don't know where they sent him, but I'll find out.' Sneed looked from him to Mike, who was putting together a portable rift-scanner. 'I'll leave you two alone, then.'

'If you would.' Ianto nodded. As Sneed ordered the area cleared of all officers and forensics, Ianto walked over to join Mike.

'Heightened aggression at a family barbeque?' Mike shook his head, still showing no signs of being affected by the scene around them. 'My brothers and I, we used to play wargames back home, and that always got a little out of hand.'

'It's hard to believe a family squabble could come to this.' Ianto opened a small case and took one of Suzie's nausea-suppression pills.

'Not with the families I grew up around.' Mike stood, holding the assembled scanner in his hand and turning it on. Immediately, it registered something. 'There's definitely something here.'

'Any idea what?'

Mike shook his head. 'Nope, but we'd better find it fast. There's a power signature, and it's building.'


End file.
